Means for automatically actuating an animating device in an oscillating toy



Nov. 4. 1969 R.L..cowE1 ET AL 3,475,856

MEANS FOR AUTOMTICALLY ACTUATING AN ANIMATING DEVICE IN AN OSCILLATINGTOY Filed Jari. 15, 196e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 14a Ma H1 'H0 Nov. 4, 1969 R.1.. cowELl. ET AL 3,475,856

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ACTUATING AN ANIMATING Filed Jan. 15, 1968DEVICE IN AN OSCILLATING TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I OBIA A. fan/A21. ,kunnenA. ,ruf

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,fr/navra- United States Patent O 3,475,856 MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLYACTUATING AN ANIMATING DEVICE IN AN OSCILLATING TOY Robert L. Cowell andRichard L. May, Manhattan Beach, Calif., assignors to Mattel, Inc.,Hawthorne, Calif., a

corporation of California Filed Jan. 15, 1968, Ser. No. 697,893

Int. Cl. A63h 33/26 U.S. Cl. 46-232 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREIn an oscillating toy, such as a walking doll, having an animatingdevice, such as a sound-producing device, means are provided forautomatically actuating the animating device after the toy hasoscillated a predetermined amount. The means shown and described hereinfor purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, include a rollingball which is caged in a carrier or a reciprocating member carrying aratchet linger which engages a ratchet wheel each time the carrierreciprocates in one direction for rotating the wheel which carries aprotuberance engageable with an electric switch after a predeterminedamount of rotation of the ratchet wheel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be setforth in two parts.

Field of the invention The present invention pertains generally to theiield of means for automatically actuating a device in a toy and moreparticularly to means in an oscillating toy for automatically -actuatingan animating device after the toy has oscillated a predetermined amount.

Description of the prior art Oscillating toys in theI form of walkingdolls are known from such prior art disclosures as that contained inPatent No. 3,267,608. Additionally, animating devices in the form ofphonographs for use in ligure toys are known from such prior art patentsas Patent No. 3,017,187. Furthermore, it is known to employ a phonographof the type disclosed in Patent No. 3,017,187 in a walking doll of thetype disclosed in Patent No. 3,267,608. Such phonographs are actuated bypulling a drawstring to wind a spring motor. This usually requiresholding the doll with one hand while the string is pulled with the otherhand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Walking-talking dolls of this type have thedisadvantage that the phonograph cannot be readily and easily energizedwhile the doll is walking.

In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic ofwalking-talking dolls, it is a primary object of the present inventionto provide a new and useful means for automatically actuating ananimating device in an oscillating toy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means forautomatically actuating a sound-producing device in a walking figure toyafter the toy has walked a predetermined amount.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an actuatingmeans of the type described including a mass which moves to-and-fro whena figure toy in which it is mounted is rocked from side-to-side duringwalking movements and means connecting the mass to a ratchet wheelhaving a protuberance provided thereon for closing an electrical switchafter a predetermined amount of rotation of the wheel.

According to the present invention, an oscillatable toy rice is providedwith an animating device for producing an animation characteristic ofthe toy and includes means for automatically actuating the animatingdevice after the toy has oscillated a predetermined amount.

The oscillatable toy is shown herein for purposes of illustration, butnot of limitation, as comprising a walking figure toy which is providedwith a sound-producing device for emitting sounds characteristic of thetoy when the sound-producing device is actuated. The toy includes meansfor automatically actuating the sound-producing device after the toy haswalked a predetermined amount.

The sound-producing device is shown herein for purposes of illustration,but not of limitation, as comprising a battery-operated phonographhaving a tone arm which automatically breaks an electrical circuit tothe batteries by engaging and opening an electrical contact on a firstswitch. The first switch is wired in parallel with a second switch whichis closed momentarily automatically after the toy has walked apredetermined amount. This energizes the electric motor long enough tomove the tone arm away from the first switch which then remains closeduntil the phonograph has played a predetermined recording. The tone armthen again engages the first switch to deenergize the motor.

The second switch is automatically closed by a protuberance provided ona ratchet wheel which is given an increment of rotation each time areciprocating member moves in one direction. The reciprocating member isreciprocated by a ball which is mounted therein. The reciprocatingmember is suiciently long that the ball may roll from one end to theother of the reciprocating member when the figure toy is oscillated orrocked from sideto-side during walking movements.

Thus, oscillation, such as cradling and rocking movements or walkingmovements, of the figure toy rolls the ball to-and-fro causing thereciprocating member to reciprocate.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularly in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection withaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to likeelements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE l is a perspective view of anoscillatable toy in combination with an animating device and means forautomatically actuating the animating device constituting a presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the actuating means shown inFIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIGURE 2; v

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 6 6 of FIGURE 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring again to thedna-wings, and more particularly to FIGURE 1, an oscillatable toyconstituting a presently preferred embodiment of the invention,generally designated 10, includes an animating device 12 for producingan animation characteristic of toy 10. Toy 10 also includes an actuatingmeans 14 for automatically actuating the animating device 12 after toy10 has oscillated a predetermined amount.

Oscillatable toy is shown herein for purposes of illustration, but notof limitation, as comprising a walking doll of the type disclosed inPatent No. 3,267,608 and includes a motor means 16 of the type disclosedin FIGURES 17 and 18 of said Patent No. 3,267,608 for rocking toy 10from side-to-side during walking movements thereof.

Animating device 12 is shown herein for purposes of illustration, butnot of limitation, as comprising an electrically-operated toy phonographwhich will now be described in connection with FIGURES 1, 5 and 6. Theanimating device or phonograph 12 includes a housing 20 including afront housing half 22 and a rear housing half 24. Front housing hal-f 22is provided with an annular shoulder 26 in which a speaker grille 28 anda speaker cone 30 are mounted. A vibration-transitting member 32 isoperatively connected to speaker cone 30 and is biased into engagementwith a crossbar 34 on a tone arm 36 by a compression spring 38.

The tone arm 36 includes a first end 39 which is pivotally connected toa fixed pin 40 aflixed to rear housing half 24 and a free end 42 whichcarries a phonograph needle 44 and the crossbar 34. Free end 42 isprovided with an extension 46 which carries a depending pin 48 extendinginto operative engagement with a snail-type, tone arm reset or returnmechanism 50 loosely resting on a rubber pad 52 carried by a central hub54 forming an integral part of a turntable 56.

Turntable 56 includes an integral spindle 58 having a first end 60journaled in the rear housing half 24 and a second end 62 journaled inthe front housing half 22. A belt 64 connects turntable 56 to anelectric motor 66 through a suitable governor means 68 which controlsthe angular velocity of turntable 56 in such a manner that a phonographrecord 70 carried thereby will uniformly transmit suitable vibrations toneedle 44. Needle 44 tracks record 70 with depending pin 48 following aradial rib 72 on return mechanism 50 until needle 44 drops off the inneredge 74 of record 70. Extension 46 will then engage mechanism 50 tosupport tone arm 36 and a switch-engaging finger 76, carried by tone arm36, will engage an electrical contact 78 moving it away from a fixedcontact 80 for opening an electrical circuit to motor 66 so thatturntable 56 stops. When motor 66 is again energized, in a manner to behereinafter described, reset mechanism 50 will rotate with record 70because of the weight of tone arm 36. Rotation of mechanism 50 returnstone arm 36 to its FIGURE 6 position at the beginning-o-play of theinformation recorded on record 70. A tone arm stop 82 may be provided inrear housing half 24 for engagement by tone arm 36 to prevent it frombeing carried beyond the outer periphery 84 of record 70.

Fixed contact 80 is connected to motor 66 through a battery means 86 bya first electrical lead 88 and a second electrical lead 90,respectively. Moveable contact 78 is connected to motor 66 by anelectrical lead 92.

Referring now more in particular to FIGURES 1-4, the actuating means 14includes a base plate 100 to which an electrical switch 102 is aiiixedby an insulated peg 104. Switch 102 includes a fixed contact 106 and amovable contact 108 connected to lead 88 by a lead 110 and to lead 92 bya lead 112, respectively. This places switch 102 in a parallel circuitwith a switch 114 formed by the contacts 78 and 80. Switch 102 may beclosed momentarily to energize motor 66 so that it will move tone arm 36away from contact 78 permitting switch 114 to maintain motor 66 in anenergized condition until needle 44 completes the tracking of aparticular recorded message provided on record 70, when finger 76 willagain contact electrical contact 78 deenergizing motor 66. Record 70will then coast a certain amount making it feasible to employmultiple-speech records of the type disclosed in Patent No. 3,017,187 sothat a different recorded message will be heard the next time switch 102is closed to energize motor 66. This may be accomplished manually bydepressing a button 116 which is reciprocably mounted on base plate andwhich includes a stem portion 118 engageable with fixed contact 106 forspringing it into engagement with movable contact 108. Button 116 ismaintained in a normally-raised position by a compression spring 120,and is located inside toy 10 in such a position that button 116 may bedepressed by pressing on toy 10.

Switch 102 may be closed automatically by a protuberance means 122carried by a disc 124 which is affixed to a ratchet wheel 126. Ratchetwheel 126 is rotatably mounted on a pin 128 aflixed to base plate 100and given structural support by an arm 130 which, in turn, is aii'ixedto base plate 100 by a lug 132. Reverse rotation of ratchet wheel 126may be prevented by a pair of exible fingers 134, 136 atixed to lug 132by suitable attachment means 138 for riding engagement with a pluralityof teeth 140 provided on the periphery of wheel 126.

Wheel 126 may be rotated to periodically bring protuberance means 122into engagement with movable contact 108 by a reciprocable finger 142having a free end 144 adapted to engage teeth 140 when finger 142 ismoved in the direction of arrow 146. Finger 142 is aixed to a carriermeans of reciprocating member 148 reciprocably mounted in a carrierhousing 150 which is afiixed to base plate 100. A suitable mass means,such as a steel ball 152, is rollingly mounted in carrier means 148 andis dimensioned with respect to carrier means 148 so as to besubstantially the same diameter as the width of carrier means 148between the inside surfaces of its side walls 154, 156 and approximatelyone half the length of walls 154, 156. Thus, mass means 152 is free toroll from end wall 158 of carrier means 148 to end wall 160 when iiguretoy 10 rocks to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Mass means 152 willthen engage a resilient pad 162, which is aiiixed to end wall 160 forminimizing the noise created by mass means 152 when it strikes pad 162,for moving carrier means 148 from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to aposition where end wall 160 of carrier means 148 engages an end wall 164forming a part of housing 150. When figure toy 10 is then rocked to theright, as viewed in FIGURE 1, mass means 152 will roll from pad 162 intoengagement with a pad 166 afxed end wall 158 causing carrier means 148to move back to its FIGURE 4 position. Thus, when figure toy 10 isoscillated by being rocked in a child's arms or by walking, mass means152 reciprocates carrier means 148 bringing finger 142 into workingengagement with ratchet wheel 126 causing it to rotate clockwise, asviewed in FIGURE 3. This rotation periodically brings protuberance means122 into switch-closing engagement with movable contact 108 so thatanimating device or phonograph 12 will automatically commence playingperiodically while figure toy 10 is walking.

Alternatively, the child may manually depress button 116 by pressing onthe head of toy 10 while rocking it in his arms to energize phonograph.While the particular actuating means for automatically actuating ananimating device after an oscillatable toy has oscillated apredetermined amount herein shown and described in detail is fullycapable of attaining the objects and providing the advantageshereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merelyillustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention andthat no limitations are intended to the details of the construction ordesign herein shown.

What is claimed is:

1. In an oscillatable toy having an animating device for producing ananimation of said toy which is characteristc of said toy, thecombination, comprising:

Actuating means for automatically actuating said animating device aftersaid toy has oscillated a predetermined amount;

Said actuating means including switch means having an open position anda closed position;

Means for moving said switch means from one of said positions to theother of said positions during oscillation of said toy;

Means connecting said switch means to said animating device;

Said moving means comprise mass means loosely mounted in said toy, saidmass means being free to move to-and-fro when said toy is oscillated;and

Means connecting said mass means to said switch means, said connectingmeans including means engageable with said switch means only after saidmass means has moved to-and-fro a predetermined number of times.

2. A combination as stated in claim 1 wherein said mass means comprisesa ball rollingly mounted in said toy.

3. A combination as stated in claim 2 wherein said means connecting saidmass means to said switch means comprises:

Ratchet wheel means rotatably mounted adjacent said switch means;

Protuberance means on said wheel means for engaging said switch means;and

Carrier means reciprocably mounted in said toy, said carrier meanshousing said ball and being dimensioned so as to permit said ball toroll back-and-forth therein; and

Ratchet finger means mounted on said carrier means in operativeassociation with said ratchet wheel means for rotating said wheel meansduring reciprocation of said carrier means.

4. A combination as stated in claim 1 wherein said animating device is atoy phonograph.

5. A combination as stated in claim 4 wherein said phonograph iselectrically operated and includes a tone arm having a switch-engagingfinger provided thereon, an electric motor, a first electric switchcontrolling the operation of said motor and a tone arm return mechanism,said switch-engaging finger being engageable with said first switch todeenergize said motor when said tone arm reaches the end of play of amessage recorded on said phonograph, said actuating means including asecond electrical switch connected in a parallel circuit with said rstswitch for momentarily energizing said motor, whereby said tone armreturn mechanism moves said switch-engaging nger out of engagement withsaid rst switch and returns said tone arm to the beginning of play of amessage recorded in said phonograph.

6. A combination as stated in claim 5 wherein said actuating meansincludes means for moving said second switch from an open position to aclosed position during walking of said toy.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,602,668 7/ 1952 Finneran et al274-14 XR 2,932,126 4/ 1960 Howell 46-243 2,978,836 4/ 1961 Kato 46-118XR 3,160,983 12/1964 Smith et al 46-247 XR 3,163,960 1/1965 Iwaya et al46--247 3,178,188 4/1965 Lea 274--14 XR 3,190,037 6/ 1965 Giordano46-232 XR 3,200,538 8/1965 Glass et al 46-118 XR ROBERT PESHOCK, PrimaryExaminer H. DINITZ, Assistant Examiner

